STRUGGLERS IN THREAT TO EVERTON

LEEDS and Burnley are threatening to bring legal action after accusing Everton of breaking Premier League spending rules.

They have written a letter to Everton and the Premier League warning they could sue for substantial damages and throw the relegation scrap into chaos.

Premier League profit and financial sustainability rules allow clubs to lose a maximum of £105million over a three-year period – and face potential points deductions if they do not comply.

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri (above) has bankrolled the club while Alisher Usmanov has also been a huge backer until he was sanctioned by the Government when sanctions kicked in following the war in Ukraine.

Everton (boss Frank Lampard, right) went on a big spending spree in January with deals for Vitali Mykolenko for £17m, Nathan Patterson for £12m, and loan deals for Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek which helped them clinch Premier League survival.

Burnley and Leeds fear Everton have been allowed to play on without sanction or investigation which could give them an unfair advantage.

They want an independent investigation to rule whether Everton have breached Premier League rules.

The two clubs are understood to have support from Premier League rivals unhappy at Everton’s spending as they believe it raises an integrity issue. The Premier League has its end-of-season AGM on June 9.

The joint action is the most serious since West Ham United paid Sheffield United £20m compensation after being fined — rather than having a point deduction — in 2007 for breaching third-party rules in signing Carlos Tevez.

And sources suggest that it is a wider issue, even potentially affecting Arsenal if they were to lose to Everton and potentially miss out on the top four.

An Everton spokesman has said: “We have worked so closely with the Premier League to make sure we are compliant we are comfortable we have complied with the rules.

“External auditors have told us what we can and cannot claim against the pandemic. If they want to take legal action they can do so.”